The ASCB awards this year have been inspired. We'd like to point out this terrific essay by Angelika, the single person most responsible for the existence of our lab! Read her commentary on the importance of basic research here. We agree!
(NON-)ADVICE ABOUT A CAREER IN SCIENCE /
We like this MBoC essay by friend-of-the-lab Vlad Denic (AKA Mr. Caro ;)), who does a great job of highlighting the diversity of experiences in science, as well as the importance of good mentors and good colleagues. Link to the PDF here.
TO THE NEW MCB GRADUATE STUDENTS: WELCOME TO BERKELEY! /
We're excited to welcome our new MCB first-year class and look forward to meeting the fantastic group of 47 students!
REGARDING "GIRLS" IN LAB... /
We like them! "Boys", too! We haven't experienced the distressing "trouble" with this situation that poor Tim Hunt has had to endure.
There is plenty that has been said about this whole fiasco and we probably don't have much that's novel to add. But for some interesting commentary that we agree with, check out Mike Eisen's post here. The specific protocol used to oust Tim Hunt and whether his comments were really so much worse that what others have said (or regularly don't say due to a sense of propriety) are debatable. Whether Hunt's comments are offensive is really not debatable. They are- at least to many scientists that we know, both female and male. Certainly the situation has gotten more attention than anyone probably anticipated, but it does reflect a real issue that at least a subset of scientists truly grapple with. So we don't feel bad for Tim Hunt. Or those who are rushing to defend his statements and being called out for it, as their apologist backlash often seems at least as disturbing as the original comments that Hunt put forth and then vigorously defended publicly on multiple occasions.
-Gloria and Elçin